Secretary's Column
By Dr. Rick Melmer
Department of Education

Feeling ignored

If you’re like me, you have noticed there has been a relative absence of discussion about education during the presidential debates. Even though we have three viable candidates running for president, rarely is education a subject of their conversations. I am sure I speak for many educators when I say that is very disappointing. I have tried to speculate why there has been such an absence of conversation regarding education, and I have settled on three theories I believe may capture the reason for this omission.

The “Urgent” Theory
The primary topics of conversation relate to items such as the war in Iraq, the slumbering economy, high gas prices, and concerns about health care. There are immediate consequences and concerns to each one of the items mentioned above. With the war, we have lost more than 4,000 soldiers to date. Issues such as rising gas prices and the slumping economy hit us in the pocket book. Finally, concerns about health care cause us to fear lingering health issues with loved ones and friends. People want to hear about the urgent instead of the important, which would include education. Unfortunately, not caring for important issues like education will create an urgency in future years.

The “Prenuptial” Theory
As we approach the election, voters are looking for commitments from the candidates. In some respects, a campaign is like a courtship. We are getting to know each other with the hopes that a commitment will be made at some point to address issues that we care about. It is my belief that the candidates know of this feeling and are cautious to make commitments that they may not be able to keep. Making promises in the area of education can be dangerous because the voters will actually expect the candidates to deliver on those promises. As a result, candidates may be reluctant to make any promises for fear that they will be held accountable upon election.

The “No Money Honey” Theory
Face it: Solutions can sometimes be expensive. It has always been easier to identify the problems in education than it is to identify the solutions. Furthermore, it seems that every solution comes with a price tag. Candidates may be fearful of identifying solutions to our educational problems because those solutions will need to be supported by financial resources. Given the status of our current federal budget, it doesn’t appear that there are extra dollars to address new and emerging problems. There is little doubt that initiatives such as pre-kindergarten, intensive support for needy schools and teacher pay can be solved without additional resources devoted at the federal level.

Investment in human capital will pay long term dividends for our country. It is my hope that as the campaign for president moves into the summer, we will hear education discussed in more detail. In the meantime, as educators, let’s continue to challenge people around the country to discuss the future of our students and the future of our educational programs.